Tuesday 12 February 2013

Awareness Benefits All

11 Feb 13
During visitation, a Roman Catholic shared with me that someone had arranged for him to attend and host 2 corporate functions over a lunch and a dinner on Ash Wednesday. He commented that as Roman Catholic, he had to fast on that day and can only choose to 'eat' either during lunch or dinner.  So what is Ash Wednesday?

12 Feb 13

While I was taking a photo at Chinese Garden, a kid 'ran' into my photo.  Immediately, her dad shouted 'Spatial Awareness' and lectured her to be mindful of the things happening around her. 

13 Feb 13

Today is Ash Wednesday. The starts of the 40 days of Lent which will end on 30 Mar.  Lent is a season leading up to Easter.  A time when Christians prepared their hearts with reflection, repentance and prayers for the coming Easter. Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and proceeds for forty days, excluding Sundays and culminating with Good Friday and Holy Saturday.  Since Sundays are weekly celebrations of the resurrection of Jesus, the six Sundays in Lent are not counted as part of the forty-day season.  During Lent, Christians practice the act of listening and staying close to God in Spirit and Truth in preparing themselve for Easter.

So what is Ash Wednesday

On Ash Wednesday, all Roman Cahtolics are encouraged to attend Mass. During Mass, the priest will bless the ashes, sprinkle Holy Water on them and the faithful come forward to receive them.  The priest will dip his right thumb in the ashes and making the Sign of the Cross on the person's forehead and says, "Remember, man, that thou art dust, and to dust thou shalt return" (or a variation on these words).  These ashes were made by burning the blessed palms that were distributed the previous year on Palm Sunday. The distribution of ashes reminds us of our own mortality and calls us to repentance.  Catholics are required to Fast on Ash Wednesday, which means they can eat only one complete meal and two smaller ones during the day, with no food in between.  Ash Wednesday is a day of penance to be marked by fasting and abstinence from the eating of meat.

Spatial Awareness is the ability to be aware of oneself in space. Awareness of spatial relationships is the ability to see two or more objects in relation to each other and to oneself.  With spatial awareness, many accidents or undesired consequences can be avoided. 

Likewise, with good knowledge of general knowingness, everyone can be benefited one way or another.  In turn, a more gracious living environment and a much better place for all.



Extracted from today 40 Days LENT Bible Listening Plan (Matthew Chapter 21: Verses 1 to 11)

Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me.  

<< Divine Awareness>>



Jurong Point Mobile Photography Workshop cum Community Painting Day (26 Jan 13)


Thank you Jurong Point for organising the Jurong Point Art Walk for Community Painting Day as well as the Mobile Photography Workshop! I am one of the Happy Participants.


https://www.facebook.com/jurongpoint
Mobile Photography Workshop and Community Painting Day (42 photos)

This way up to ART Walk
Our vibrant mobile classroom at one corner of the Art Walk


Smartphone Photography Workshop by Speaker Brian 



Photography is the Art of Taking Light 

- start thinking how you want to take it 






The basics ...




What can be improved? 

Phone - point to focus if the portion is dark, it will be too bright. Point face instead of hair.



Focus on the average brightness point of the photo. Experiment a bit. Don't focus on the moving object. 



Tab and hold to focus

Exposure
Shutter/Exposure Time
Long Exposure (30sec to 1 minutes)
Extreme high Shutter/short exposure (Time Stop)



Shutter Speeds/Exposure Times
Bulb (hold)
.
5sec
.
1/8000

f/8 - all clear
f/3.5 - notice the blur

Aperture Settings 
f2.8 (Center)
f11
f32

Aperture 
f/2 (big opening)
f/8 (medium opening)
f/32 (small opening)

Depth of field 

If you take with a short DOF, take the person from the front rather than the side

Bringing a feature out - Bokeh 

Grain/Film Speed/ISO
80 (more details)
100
200
400
800
1600
3200 (more grain)

Setting ISO

Photography is not how you feel but how other people value it. (what it means to you)

Aperture, Shutter and ISO are interdependent.

Photography is not about the gear but how you take it.

Smartphone Photography - you are always ready to shoot (As and when you take it)

Rule of 2/3 - Grip 

Avoid dead space

Composition tells the story - think about what is in your photo

Lots of light vs low light 

Perspective, position and focus length

Shoot from low high you make it more grand but beware of double chin

Shoot from high down you make it more small 

With your smart phone, everything looks further away (wide lens)

Smart phone zoom digitally (it just cut away the photo)


Light your subject well
- photography is the art of using light
- no matter where you shoot, or what you are using , always look for light
- choose your light, if possible
- watch for too much hard light (lots of shadows)

Look out where is the Sun

Experiment with white balance
-watch for the colour of the light available 
-Adjust the balance

Compose, don't just be snap happy 
Think about what you want to tell in a photo

If your photos ain't good enough, you ain't close enough. - Robert Capa

Bring out the subject (go near) 

Photography is about WHERE you stand 

Watch that flash
- use it if you need it (backlight)
- get used to knowing the light 
- More to a brighter spots

Keep still when taking photo

Edit the images later
(editing tools on Pc is better than camera)

Don't throw away mistakes 

What you see on your phone is not what you see on your PC

Avoid using the digital zoom, just crop it. 

Digital zoom is nothin but a in-build crop 

Keep your lens cleans 

The better the resolution m, the better the quality, all other factors being equal . 

Always set resolution to Large

Shoot loose - know when your camera takes the photo ie when you touch the screen or when your finger leaves the screen. Does it have a focusing delay?

Observe camera etiquette 

Bear in mind the limitation of your camera.
It isn't a DSLR and it is your eye. 

Know what your camera tools. What your camera can do or can not do.

Remember the basics?
And when you can break the rules.





Smartphone Photography Workshop by Speaker Michelle Teo


Michelle's Favourite Apps



Speaker Noora





A glimpse of the Changing Exhibitions at the Art Walk ....

                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                                                                 





Some of the Happenings on the Community Painting Day at the Art Walk...

The Art Walk at Jurong Point 2 Basement 1 is quite new to many. Do drop by to view the Front Facade, Changing Exhibitions and Community of Art Space.

Front Facade:
Art Walk @ Jurong Point presents a joint initiative by Jurong Point and Social Creatives - a non-profit art chairty - to promote art appreciation whithin the community.  The theme of Art Walk, entitled "Colours That Promote Happiness" hopes to encourage Singaporean to explore their artistic side through the vibrancy of colours.

Changing Exhibitions:
Changing Exhibtions is a community art gallery by the people, for the people - helping to promote local budding artists by showcasing their works, and offering them up for sale.

Community Art Space:
The Community Art space is a portion of the gallery dedicated to the public, with the aim of promoting advocacy for the arts.  Driving home the message art can be for everyone.  Community Painting Days will be held on a regular basis where members of the public will be invited to contribute to the murals every month.